[CheyMUA]

Okay so this may be a long post but I'm near tears at the moment so bear with me...

First of all I'd like to say a big hello to everyone on Chihuahua People! I'm new Just got my beautiful boy Zeus (He's 3/4 Chihuahua 1/4 Jack Russell (- His father is full blooded chihuahua and his mother - although sold to them as a full blooded chihuahua started to show jack russell qualities and after seeing a vet they gathered that she is likely half jack russell.) )

I love him to death but I feel like I'm doing everything wrong!!

I've had him two weeks now - first got him at 12 weeks from a lady and gentleman in Essex who's two house pets had unexpectedly had pups. And while I know its probably not the best thing to get pups from inexperienced breeders, they are rescuers and experienced owners & I whole heartedly believe they raised them well and socialised them brilliantly.

So firstly I have to say I have done hours and hours and months even years on puppy ownership as I've wanted a chi since I was little -I'm obsessed with them! But reading about what to expect and actually owning a pup that you LOVE soooo much is different.

He is lovely! So playful, sweet, cheeky and smart and I've already managed to teach him to sit, lay, stay, stand and give me his paw and he is doing well with crate training and knows to pee in a certain area with pee pads or newspaper. He also knows his name - I've been told I'm doing well but I feel like I'm not doing enough for him.

Before I got him he was being fed tinned Pedigree Puppy food. I read that tinned food is not good for dogs as its filled with filler and trash basically so I bought some Royal Canin Chihuahua food for puppys - He loves it but I think I switched to quickly at first and he had trouble with really tough poos so I decided to mix the soft pedigree pup stuff and Royal Canin kibble gradually starting to phase out the pedigree food - Since coming on here though I've read that its not a good food

Also the vet told me today he gained half a kilo in two weeks!! Originally he was charting to be about 5.5/6 lbs now he's looking more like he'll be 7! Am I overfeeding him??

He hates his lead and also bites while playing - not hard and licks you straight after but I don't want him to nip a child or something when we go out but I can't seem to figure out how to make him do it less. I also feel guilty about not getting him a playmate but I don't know if I could handle/afford more than one pup at the moment especially as I spent alot making sure he's got everything he needs.

I know he's a dog and I want him to be 'doggy' but I worry I'm not doing well enough to train him into a well behaved chi I know he can be.

Sorry its a bit of a ramble and I hope I've made sense but would love some help/direction on what I'm doing right/wrong.

Thanks & Chi Love

 

[chaiteahuahua]

Even if you're not into reading, I suggest you get Victoria Stilwell's book, It's Me or the Dog (same name as her TV show). It is very user-friendly, extremely helpful, and easy to read. The way she explains things helps a lot, and she covers everything you need to know about a dog, including everything about puppies. She has a section about different issues dogs can have and solutions for each one. I'm 3/4 of the way through the one I borrowed from the library and LOVE it. I'm definitely going to go buy a copy myself

 

[Zorana1125]

Hi and welcome!! Congrats on your new puppy! He is so adorable!!

Royal Canin, although it's pricey, is not a great dog food at all. Its has tons of fillers and by-products in it. There are tons of really healthy dog foods out there though so do not get discouraged. I didn't find out about quality dog foods until my first chihuahua Gino got diagnosed with autoimmune disease and I had to learn the hard way about low quality kibble (what it's made of) and over-vaccination. Now I feed my pack Fromm, which does have a puppy formula and the kibble in all the varieties is super tiny. I recommend feeding the grain free versions bc it he will eat less, poop smaller, and some dogs are allergic to grains. Another food I would recommend is Acana, a ton of CP members feed this as well. It's hard to say how much to feed bc you do not want to under feed him as he is a growing little man. Leo is almost six months, but up until recently I would feed him three times a day and he got more kibble than the other two chi's I have. Some of the food may have feeding recommendations on the bags also.

If he gets runny poops, boil some plain chicken and rice and then slowly mix in the new kibble. When I got my new puppy Leo, his breeder was feeding Eukanuba, so when I tried to wean him onto Fromm, he got awful diarrhea. I completey took him off of the Eukanuba and fed him boiled chicken and rice for 2 weeks while slowly adding in the Fromm. I would rather him eat chicken and rice versus Eukanuba.

As far as chewing goes, he is a puppy and he's probably teething, see if you can find some teething toys for him to chew on instead of his leash. I would just tell Leo "no" in a firm voice when he would chew things he wasn't suppose to like the couch, lol. And just be patient bc he is a baby and he's adjusting. Enjoy his puppy time bc it really flies by and the next thing you know, he won't be a baby anymore.

The last thing I suggest is reading a book called "Scared Poopless," I think it is available on amazon.com. The author does a fantastic job talking about what to do and what not to do when it comes to fur babies. The best part about it is it's written from the point of view of one of her maltese, so it's really cute. She talks about food, vaccinations, spaying/neutering, among other things. I learned a lot from her book and everyone who reads it just loves it!

It sounds like you are doing a great job! Good luck with all your puppy training!
Feel free to ask any questions, everyone here is really helpful!

 

[Wicked Pixie]

First of all, hi and welcome to the forum. Congratulations on choosing the best breed. Secondly, breathe! Your pup sounds perfectly normal and you have come to the right place for advice.
Sounds like you are doing a great job with him. All puppies mouth when playing, it doesn't mean he will be a nippy adult. When he gets too rough either yelp so he knows he has hurt you or remove the body part he was attempting to chew. Distracting with a toy he is allowed to chew helps too.
Lots of Chis take a while to get used to walking on the lead too, so persevere. Try clipping a very light lead (or even a piece of ribbon or similar) and letting it trail behind him until he gets used to it.
Do you have friends with dogs? Take him to play with well behaved, vaccinated adult dogs, it is a great form of socialisation.
Read everything you can about dog training, then decide what is important to you and be consistent. It is up to you what rules your dog follows.
I would definitely get him onto a better quality food though.
Looking forward to pics and updates about this little guy.

 

[lulu'smom]

I think Victoria Stillwell's book is an excellent idea. Also, it sounds like you are doing fine. The food thing is a struggle for most new dog owners. It's very hard deciding what you feel is best for your dog and you will be bombarded with opinions. It is more difficult to get what is considered to be some of the best dog foods in the UK from what I have read on this forum--they usually have to be ordered on the internet. If you don't want him to nip, when he does so I have read that people loudly go OW! like a dog so they know they have hurt you and take your hand away. He will get the message that is not acceptable. As far as walking on a lead that just takes practice, practice, practice at his age. Little Gemma's mom thought she was never gonna walk with her harness like she wanted her to, but now she's a champ! Don't give up, and please don't worry he's just 12 weeks old!! I really don't know nearly as much as most everyone else. Maybe those that know way more than me will give you more pointers, but take heart! Your doing great!!!

 

[teetee]

Hi & welcome. I always roll my eyes when people online tell me to "use the search box"...but for real, on this site, it is the best! Anytime I have questions I look in there and 9 times out of 10, I find an abundance of people with answers, advice, or at least comments. Royal canin is not a great food, you're right. If you search up there "what to feed" or "best foods", you'll see a lot of discussions on the topic. So amongst foods, there is all types of commentary on many different issues from new and experienced chihuahua lovers. Welcome again and don't worry, everything will be fine. It's great your seeking advice too

 

[AussieLass]

Hi & welcome. Sounds like you're super pro-active, have a good handle on most things & go out of your way to research & learn - 10 points out of 10!!

Babies & pups don't come with manuals, and everything else you take on board is, at the end of the day, someone else's opinion and advice - use your discretion to find what works best for you from the mountains of stuff to read and do, and your baby and you'll both be super happy and content. Trial and error and success are what makes it so much of a challenge and so rewarding, as you've already found out with your wonderful training progress.

The biting goes away with maturity, or is easy to stop .... apart from that, it sounds like you scored Pup Perfect

If you can, the best diet imo is raw (prepared by you or a BARF company) and ZiwiPeak.

ETA: Oh, I forgot to say, walkies .... take him out & place him behind another dog walking down the road on a lead, he'll soon get the hang of going forward when there's another dog's butt in front of him to greet & explore

 

[DKT113]

Don't be near tears... this is a great time.
You have great advice already and you're going to pick up little tidbits of information each day that help you right along.

It's really just like anything else... Common sense will get you through until you have gained some confidence. And long before there were websites and a stars reference for various food choices folks raised dogs and enjoyed them & they were healthy and well behaved ~ so try not to be too worried about that and just make the best choices you can make as you read up on the topic of interest.

As for the training. That stuff just comes along & your little guy will get there ~ reinforce preferred behaviors with a little loving and ignore the undesirable. He's smart, he's going to start picking up on your signals just as you are learning his.

Just please don't be so worked up you have yourself near tears or in a state of panic. You love the little joker, you obviously have common sense as that was very apparent in your post & you want what's best for him. You have this in the bag~ I promise. So just gather yourself and start enjoying this little joker & take tons of pictures, because just like kids they grow so quickly it's nice to look back to when they first came home remembering how all worked up we are trying to have everything "just perfect".

Just in case it needs said again ~ you got this in the bag ~ he's lucky to have you!

 

[Buildthemskywards]

I've had my chi for 4 weeks and he is 12 weeks now. The main thing I have learned is to calm down. If I do one thing wrong he's not going to turn into a terrible dog and if he eats a leaf off the floor before I can get to him he's not going to die. I felt like I had to watch him every second, I was on constant alert and panicking about everything. It will calm down, you will learn that he's fine. I came on here and asked a lot of stupid questions for reassurance...it helps. I read chihuahuas for dummies, which is great and whenever I want to teach anything I YouTube Victoria Stilwell because I love her positive approach and the way she never forces the dog to do anything.

I went for ziwipeak for food because it seems to be the most recommended here, there are great advantages to it, I'm able to supplement it with raw without too much bother although I'm just starting to do that and as someone else said, a lot of the good foods are hard to get in the UK. I get ZP from amazon, free delivery, 17.49 for the venison or venison ad fish, 14.99 for the lamb. The most expensive one for Mylo's weight works out around 28p per day...less if I get raw to make up some meals. The delivery says 3-5 days but mine came in less than 48 hours.

I think the best advice is relax, you're doing fine =)

 

[CheyMUA]

Hey everyone!!

Thank you all SO much for your advice and words of encouragement! I appreciate it so much!

I realise I was being a bit silly being so worked up and after reading all of your posts I feel so much better about things

You're all right in saying that the puppy stage passes by so quickly! I can already see how much he's changed since I brought him home he's much more confident and independent which is lovely but kinda sad too as he no longer wants to sleep on me anymore lol!

I think I'm going to look at all the recommended food and make a transition pretty soon as I really want to look after his health and nutrition.

I'll definitely look for Victoria Stilwell's book and ''Scared Poopless'' which sounds like a fun read

I guess I need to just chill out and enjoy him eh? I think I put too much pressure on the both of us TBH - Him to be a Pudsey-esque circ-de-soleil performing dog in a week and me to be a super pup mum and know everything straight away

Thanks again everyone!!

PS. I was shocked today to see his ''stones'' had dropped!! Growing up way tooo fast! LOL!!

 

[EmberLuvu]

Calm down, please. Don't get so worked up!

First of all - a diet for him.

Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor
I reccomend anything they rate 4* and up.

If it seems expensive Tractor Supply has 4health (4*) Taste of the Wild (5*) and a few more for insanely good prices.

If you have no TSC near Costco has Kirklands. Lowes has Simply Natural (I think that's what it is called) which is grain free.

I feed mine (At the moment) Purina One BeyOnd which is 3* (Which is reccomended, if you can't afford 4 and 5 star, go with a 3*) and it's not too bad of a food for a grocery-store food.

Second - training. I reccomend Cesar Milan's book, I am a big fan and though he seems rough he isn't that bad, his methods work with my beagle (I don't use them on Ember however - she is so small I'm afraid I may accidently be too rough) or Victoria Stilwell books, whom though I do not agree with 100% is a good trainer that uses good methods.

Most pups do actually nip, referred to as playbiting. Some good methods to stop it is:

1. If it bites, immidiately move away from him and ignore him for about 10 seconds.
2. If that fails, then squeal loudly if he bites down hard. Then get up and move away.
3. If THAT fails, if he bites, loudly say, "NO!" and stop playing for about a minute (not allowing him to play, either) and ignore him. Then you can play again.

Those are three methods I used for my dogs.

And finally...

Good luck!

 

[CheyMUA]

Thanks Savannah
I did look at some of Cesar's You|Tube videos and some of his methods worked soo quickly - I think he is really truly in tune with dogs minds

I will look at the ratings - of course I would love to get 5* food for my baby but I know they can get pricey so will see what is best and practical.

Thanks for the advice

xx

 

[EmberLuvu]

Thanks Savannah
I did look at some of Cesar's You|Tube videos and some of his methods worked soo quickly - I think he is really truly in tune with dogs minds

I will look at the ratings - of course I would love to get 5* food for my baby but I know they can get pricey so will see what is best and practical.

Thanks for the advice

xx

You're very welcome Cheyenne!

 

[Buildthemskywards]

It's not silly at all, it's completely natural. It's what I did but you get used to it and learn to relax. Just try to have realistic expectations of yourself and your chi. A good pup mum is simply one that loves her chi and tries her best. I would recommend the ZP...although it sounds expensive I find he needs so little of it that it should last 2 months. £17 is a lot but not so much when you only have to pay it every other month. Also they say that it helps with general health, lengthens life expectancy and makes poos smaller and less smelly as well as better breath. If it does make him more healthy then I figure I get some of the money back in lack of vet bills.

His 'stones' dropping made me laugh. The vet checked both of Mylo's were descended but I can't even see them...not that I've tried mind you. Mylo has grown so much since he came home!

 

[LittleGemma]

Welcome to CP!

No, don't cry! Just relax! You are already doing so great. I stressed in the beginning with Gemma about getting EVERY single little thing right quickly, but she figured things out on her own eventually. I was crying in the beginning some days, but it wasn't worth it because she has turned out perfect. It will just take time for your guy to get everything right. He's still so young.

I would advise that you get him out as much as possible to practice walking on a leash and socializing with other people and dogs. Socialization is so crucial with young pups. Gemma got a late start since her breeder didn't socialize her much, but I have worked hard to make up for it and now she loves all other dogs and approaches all strangers that come to greet her! She is very shy and nervous by nature, so if she can become a well-socialized dog, any dog can!

As others have said, Royal Canin is not a good quality food. You can use Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor to look up and research 5-star foods. I feed Gemma Acana kibble since it is grain-free and fits in my budget. I would have to admit that homemade raw or premade raw like Ziwipeak is definitely the best you can feed if you can afford it.

Just keep on with the training. You're doing great! Teaching tricks is a great way to build confidence. Bring him out to new places and new situations every day. Get him used to being around people and other animals. Do all of these things every day and you will have a well-rounded, wonderful adult dog!

 

[CheyMUA]

Thanks Caitlin some great tips I will deffo keep in mind I am SO glad I found this site!! I've definitely been able to feel much more at ease and I kinda think Zeus has sensed it cs he's coming to me to sleep on my lap again now YAY!!
Definitely want to phase out RC and put him on ZiwiPeak as soon as I can - just one question though will it make him put on weight rapidly? He's already just a smidge overweight *hangs head in shame* so I really want to be careful not to overfeed him or give him something that will make him stay/get fatter xx Thanks again everyone I literally love you!! Ha ha! xx

 

[LittleGemma]

Thanks Caitlin some great tips I will deffo keep in mind I am SO glad I found this site!! I've definitely been able to feel much more at ease and I kinda think Zeus has sensed it cs he's coming to me to sleep on my lap again now YAY!!
Definitely want to phase out RC and put him on ZiwiPeak as soon as I can - just one question though will it make him put on weight rapidly? He's already just a smidge overweight *hangs head in shame* so I really want to be careful not to overfeed him or give him something that will make him stay/get fatter xx Thanks again everyone I literally love you!! Ha ha! xx

No problem! These forums are really so great. The girls here have helped me so much with Gemma. I'm sure Zeus has sensed a change in your energy. Your energy truly does rub off on them, so the better you feel, the better they are going to feel and respond as well.

That's awesome that you are going for ZP. Good for you! No, I doubt he will gain weight on ZP. If anything, he's probably going to start losing weight. The RC was probably making him chubby with all the nonsense fillers that is in it. Think of the RC like a TV dinner. Maybe it has a little nutrition, but it has a whole lot of junk in it too! ZP is like a homecooked organic meal from fresh ingredients with balanced nutrition. You're going to notice so many changes in his overall health, you'll be amazed!

 

[CheyMUA]

Omg what a great way to put it re: ZP and RC being like a TV dinner lol...makes me more eager to get him switched over!! I'm exited to see improvements in him and see if it helps with stinky poos lol

I love that CP is like a lil circle of friends

Cant wait to get some money in so I can go on a mini shopping spree for him xx

 

[Buildthemskywards]

I'm with Caitlin on that, he'll probably lose the excess because it's the right amount of nutrition. I weigh out his portions because I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how little he was on but he seems full on it, will leave a bit and then go back to it. Mylo is 12 weeks and 2.8lbs so he gets three servings of 7oz (you double the amount for puppies). He's steadily increased in weight since being on it but only as a growing puppy should. I'm glad you're aware of his weight as it's very important to keep them at their ideal weight because of the knee problems Chis are prone to. Remember to take treats out of their daily allowance of food and make sure he gets lots of exercise. I check Mylo frequently by making sure that I can feel ribs but not see them.

 

[CheyMUA]

Hey Melissa Yes I am really wary of his food intake as he put on half a kilo in two weeks!! It really shocked me as he was the same weight as Milo at twelve weeks (2.8lbs) and was charting to be 6lbs fully grown but now shifted to be 7lbs fully grown! I had to drag my jaw off the floor when the vet red out his weight!! He was looking a lil round and was having a little trouble climbing and jumping up the sofa etc but now he's looking a bit leaner and springing about after I limited his intake and had him running about some more.. Hopefully it was just a lil growth spurt and he'll steady out to be 6lbs or just under fully grown x